Remembering Bill Haggett

Mary Reines mreines@wickedlocal.com @MaryReines

Tuesday

Feb 13, 2018 at 5:30 PMFeb 13, 2018 at 5:30 PM

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mary Reines was a member of Bill Haggett's Young Dance Company of America.

Marblehead dancer, choreographer and all-around showman Bill Haggett has gone down in history for his many contributions to the world of entertainment, both locally and nationally, as a Broadway dancer and the owner and visionary behind the Young Dance Company of America, which was based in his former Marblehead home. Along with his wife and dance partner, Midge, Haggett performed at the Palace Theater and on "The Ed Sullivan Show," working with Tony Bennett, Robert Goulet, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gormet, and Chita Rivera.

He even received a kind note from Fred Astaire, whom he was inspired by as a teen while watching the film “Blue Skies.” Among his many accomplishments, Haggett choreographed Shari Lewis’ Saturday morning TV Show for children.

These illustrious feats and connections will come as no surprise to many ‘Headers, who knew Haggett and his dance company for decades. But what many locals may not know about Haggett, who continued to teach dance until he passed on Jan. 21, 2018, at age 88, is that he was also particularly passionate about music.

As a member of Marblehead High School’s Class of 1948, Haggett’s ambition was “To become a band leader and a composer and arranger of popular music,” according to his class yearbook. He was a member of the band, orchestra, and art club, and it was noted that he was “ambitious...musical...always drumming up trade for his orchestra.”

His classmates even mentioned him in the “Class Will,” a list at the back of the yearbook bequeathing students something special after graduation. “To Billy Haggett--” it reads, “a long-term contract at the Stork Club for him and his orchestra.”

According to Linda Burke, Haggett’s daughter, he came from a musical family. His father, Wilbur N. Haggett Sr., for whom he was named, played banjo and was “amazing” on piano. He was also known to tap dance, and he taught all of his children how to drum -- a “Haggett legacy” according to Burke.

“All the boys, like my cousins, all drum, and my dad was a drummer,” she said. “He had bands that played at the dances at the high school.”

During his military service, Haggett played drum in the Air Force Band.

Greg Dana, longtime lighting and sound operator for local theater productions, remembers working with Haggett on his Young Dance Company of America shows starting back in the early ‘80s. He recalled how Bill was particular about the music, and would come over to his house up to 40 times before a show to edit tracks.

“We spent many many many hours together,” Dana said. “He was a perfectionist.”

As sound technology changed through the decades, from tape cassettes to mini discs and beyond, Haggett’s musical taste did not vary too much. Dana remembers Liza Minelli in “almost every show that he ever did,” and songs from Broadway productions.

“He liked the upbeat stuff,” Dana said.

Songs from “42nd Street,” “Pippin,” “Chicago,” and anything in the realm of Bob Fosse were frequent backdrops for Haggett’s choreography, according to Jennifer Schaeffner, who danced with the Young Dance Company from 1971-81, up to her senior year in high school. And there is one song in particular that all YDC dancers will remember -- “Bandstand Boogie” performed by Barry Manilow.

“I think anyone who ever danced with Bill Haggett and Midge Haggett, at one point, performed American Bandstand,” she said.

Schaeffner remembers rehearsing at the Haggett’s big white house at 119 Clifton Ave., Monday through Saturday, 20 hours a week. The family -- Bill and Midge, along with their daughters, Linda and Lisa -- lived on the upper levels. The basement was converted into changing rooms and the second floors became two dance studios with a moveable mirrored wall in between.

“It could be two studios ... and then when we had big rehearsals he would open up the wall and it was an enormous studio,” she said. “It was really neat.

The Young Dance Company of America performed everywhere from the Performing Arts Center at the Marblehead Veterans Middle School to Salem Willows to the Hatch Shell at the Esplanade, to City Hall Plaza and eventually Walt Disney World. As part of the Company, which was audition-only for the eldest group of dancers -- high school students -- Schaeffner remembered performing for an episode of WCVB’s “Good Day!” TV show. The dancers were filmed at the Crane Estate with a helicopter crew to capture overhead shots.

“Bill really wanted to get a serious aerial shot,” Schaeffner said. “He and the director and the producer were up in the helicopter, and we had to do the number over and over and over again... We had some hair issues with the helicopter, but I think we got through that.”

Marblehead native Mike Lane, Haggett’s right hand man and one of his closest friends, remembered the time Haggett asked him if it would be possible to do a photo shoot on the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor.

“It was the type of relationship where I would have done anything for him,” Lane said.

After scheduling a time, they rented a van for transportation and all drove down together. Before getting on board, they had to go through security and customs because the ship was closed to the general public. Lane said that it was a truly unique experience.

“It was cool because once we got on board the ship, all of the naval officers were in awe of what was going on.” Lane said. “They had never seen anything like this either.”

Haggett was also closely connected with the staff at MHTV from the time the station began broadcasting in the ‘80s. He became one of MHTV’s first community producers with tapings of the Company’s shows and performances. For MHTV Programming Director Jon Caswell, shooting for Haggett was always a treat. He remembered filming the dancers on a boat out of Marblehead Harbor.

“My favorite part of working with Bill was going out on location,” Caswell said. “He had them dancing on a boat one year, and we would go by on the boat with a camera shooting from all different angles.”

With help from Caswell and MHTV Executive Producer Joan Goloboy, Haggett would film the Company’s annual show, as well as other performances around the North Shore and Boston area. Goloboy remembered how meticulous he was about directing and video editing, right up until last year when he worked with her over the phone to create “Magical: A Celebration of the Young Dance Company of America,” a two-hour compilation of YDC footage that tells the story of the company. Goloboy remembered mailing DVDs to Bill so that he could direct her editing.

“He would watch it and say, ‘At 15 minutes and 22 second and three frames, let’s take that out and put in something else,’” she said. “We would sometimes be on the phone and I’d be editing, and I’d say, ‘Do you want the girl with the blonde hair, or the one with the dark hair?’ And he’d say, ‘Well the one with the dark hair should be here…’ It was amazing. It was as if he was in the room. He remembered everything.”

Besides choreographing and directing, Haggett also designed costumes -- with his trusty glue gun by his side -- and put together program books for the annual shows. Not one aspect of the company, its productions and sense of community, existed without him.

“He was like a visionary with what he wanted to do,” Burke said. “He would mastermind these shows... He would recreate Broadway sets in our basement… He was very driven.”

While the Young Dance Company would perform near and far, the annual show was an exciting experience that all of Marblehead could enjoy. Compared to other productions, Dana said that YDC shows were always something special.

“When I saw Bill’s show for the first time, I was stunned,” Dana said. “It was a continuous flowing show. It was so much different than the others... He created something that certainly this town never saw before.”

Behind the scenes, the Young Dance Company of America was a tight-knit group of hardworking dancers, who, under Haggett’s instruction, conducted themselves as professionals. The dancers also had the privilege of learning Haggett’s cutting edge relaxation techniques, which aided with focus and visualization. Schaeffner said he was ahead of the curve when it came to mindfulness practices and valuing the importance of stress relief.

“I was there when he really started rolling out this program of visualization and relaxation and focusing on reducing stress, and simultaneously improving your performance,” she said. “He was really a pioneer and a trailblazer in understanding the damage that stress and tension and anxiety can do.”

It’s likely that such mindfulness helped Haggett maintain his physical fitness as well as his calm demeanor. Those who knew him spoke on his courteous manner, and mentioned that he rarely raised his voice.

“His physique was still the physique of a very young man,” Dana said. “His relaxing techniques, he must have practiced on himself … he had such an even personality.”

In 2011, Bill moved to Newtown, Conn. to be closer to Burke and her family. But he never stopped teaching. He soon became a faculty member at the Lathrop School of Dance where he was known as “Broadway Bill.”

“He was able to continue to work with kids, which is all he really cared about,” Linda said. "He just wanted to be creative, work with kids and make kids feel good ... share the joy.”

During Haggett’s time running the Young Dance Company In Marblehead, when he wasn’t busy working on choreography, music editing, set design or spiffing up costumes, he enjoyed going out on his boat, “The Intermission,” with his family, friends and dancers.

“He was always the first one to put the mooring in in Marblehead Harbor, and have the boat out in March,” Burke said. “That was his relaxation -- the beach and the ocean.”

The details for a memorial service to honor Bill will be announced by the family. Donations in Bills memory may be made to the Virginia & Mack Lathrop Scholarship, c/o Newtown Scholarship Association, PO Box 302, Newtown, CT 06470. This is a scholarship developed by the late Ginny Lathrop (Lathrops School of Dance) to fund a high school student with aspirations of pursuing a professional dance career.

DANCERS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES

A sense of community

My heart dropped when I learned about Bill’s passing. I read the message from my mom as I was leaning over to give my newborn son a kiss. He was born two days ago and oh how I would have loved to share this news with Bill.

Memories from my childhood are flooding my mind-the Spray Avenue house; Star of the Sea; the MHS PAC and the downstairs changing rooms with the round light bulbs that made me feel like we were really Broadway dancers! The “talks” as a whole group and individually; relaxation techniques; his stereo; the feelings of excitement when he would play us songs to which he would be choreographing new dances; the anticipation for late April/early May and our annual YDC performances; Disney World; the water sprinklers and Tedesco Golf Course and red umbrellas.

I could go on and on and on. But what stands out above it all are two things:

One: The true love and appreciation of the art of dance that I experienced through Bill’s teaching.

Two: The invaluable sense of community and belonging that I felt by being a part of the YDC.

Bill built this company, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to share in it. I hope that my child will one day have similar kinds of positive youth experiences that build such a solid foundation.

Bill, your legacy lives on in so many of the dancers’ and their families’ lives. Thank you for teaching me to love dance in such a way that I continue to feel it in my bones. You will be so missed.

--Ashley Waterberg, YDC dancer, 1988-2002

Dancer for life

When I think about Bill Haggett, I think about legacy. I came to Bill as a rambunctious 7 year old whose mother desperately needed to find an outlet for. Enter Bill. He provided me with a safe haven and a place to express myself for the next ten years.

Bill didn’t just teach dance. He instilled dedication, responsibility, self-discipline and the joyous feeling of hard work paying off. Sometimes we doubted the process, but Bill never failed us or led us astray. He used his years of professional dance to bring a true Broadway perspective to hundreds of dancers over the years.

In recent years, staying in touch with him no longer meant seeing him five days a week, but catching up via phone call or a mailed card every few months. Every time I called, I got the same excited and enthusiastic Bill, wanting to know about my life and family. Without fail, he always asked “and are you finding time to continue to dance?”

Even if it’s not in a structured class or true dance program, I will continue to carry dance in my heart and soul for the rest of my life, and I have Bill to thank for that.

--Amanda Mennino, YDC dancer, 1998-2009

Have a memory that you would like to share? Send your story to Mary Reines at mreines@wickedlocal.com